All About Food

It’s all natural

August 12th, 2015

HPR visits Mara Solberg’s organic farm

It wasn't too long ago that you didn't have to stamp “organic” on food products so people would know they weren't full of chemicals and that they were devoid of harmful toxins. All foods were pretty much natural and organic.

So as I drove through the achingly flat acres of industrialized farms just south of Fargo to visit Mara Solberg and her husband, it reinforced in me the need for more people like them, old-school farmers tending a…

Read more...


​A whole new world

August 5th, 2015

Cafe Aladdin offers Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine at its finest

When I moved here over 37 years ago, the ethnic food in the area was limited. In 1980, a gentleman by the name of Ahmad Younis and his family moved to the Fargo area because he could not find the work he was looking for. In 1990, he opened a street trailer (the first one in the Fargo-Moorhead area to my knowledge). He and his brother Younis Younis, opened their first restaurant, Aladdin's Market and Deli, in 1994 on Sixth…

Read more...


​Gluten Free: Fad, Trend or Real Epidemic

July 29th, 2015

That byline alone is going to get some people’s attention probably annoying the hell out of some. And most likely they are people I know and value. After cooking umpteen thousands of meals in various situations over 40 years in the hospitality industry I am amazed at how many people now want gluten-free. So it made me ask the question is this an epidemic, a fad or a trend?

Consider this. Four years ago I moved to Fargo from Houston, Texas where I was a chef for about 23 years. I cooked…

Read more...


​Pounds downtown

July 9th, 2015

I recently found out about Pounds, the new restaurant located in downtown Fargo, at 612 First Ave. N. Formerly the Beefsteak Club, the new eatery is still right next to Wurst Bier Hall and Drekker Brewing Co.

I was curious about the name, as I assumed that it meant the restaurant served huge hamburgers, but that is not what it’s about at all. To learn more, I had a nice visit with one of the owners, Alan Kasin.

First thing I asked Alan was when the restaurant was due to open, because…

Read more...


​Smoky, chewy and savory BBQ ribs—vegan style

July 1st, 2015

By Kathleen Keene

A lot of people who don't eat animal products find themselves in a quandary during holidays such as the 4th of July. Not wanting to feel left out, they often desire to join the festivities and merrymaking. When you bring this dish to your backyard barbecue, people will wonder what kind of meat you brought. You can tell them it's wheat meat! After all, meat doesn't own the flavors or textures people associate with it: smoky, chewy, savory, and of course, barbecued!

Vegan…

Read more...


​Luna: “Your Neighborhood Kitchen”

June 24th, 2015

Photo by Tyler Schafer Nestled in an unassuming space next door to Bernie’s Wines and Liquors is a little gem of a “coffee shop, wine and beer bar, restaurant, and cheese shop all in one.” Over the past year or so, Luna has undergone some major changes, and it has emerged as one of the premier eateries in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

From Coffee to Wine

In its original incarnation, Luna was a coffee shop. Its transformation began when current owner Nikki Ness Berglund purchased it with the vision of turning…

Read more...


The skinny on corn

June 24th, 2015

Photo by Steven De Polo

June 21, the official start of summer. The longest day of the year. The day Druid types gather at Stonehenge and celebrate the day reenacting whatever it was those wacky Druids did back in the day. The original Renaissance Festival. Even though our summer might have just begun it’s been in full bloom south of here.

When I saw that heaping pile of fresh corn at the market I knew it was on. There is nothing better than fresh, buttery, sweet corn on the cob to bring on that summertime…

Read more...


​The Great American Cookout

June 17th, 2015

Photo by Don Harder Burgers, burgers, burgers. Gotta love a great burger grilled in the great outdoors, with charcoal, wood or gas. Regardless, you are outside in the summer grilling. Damn, I get hot just thinking about standing over a robust fire in a wet bathing suit, watching slow cooked briskets on the smoker or greasy, delicious hamburgers getting ready for that toasty bun. It is summer in the Upper Midwest and it is a special time.

My charcoal grill is firing up right now for some really good charred…

Read more...


Carrot Confessions

June 17th, 2015

Photo by flikr user Whatley Dude With the summer here and the vegetables growing and popping up out of our beautiful soil it makes me think that I should broaden my horizons and try some new veggies.

I say new because, believe it or not, I just don't have a hankering for one of them. People are totally surprised and shocked whenever I tell them I don't like carrots.

So I'm making it my goal to find recipes that include carrots, and which I think I would be OK with. Of course what I’ve come up with is the tiny, thin,…

Read more...


​‘Urban american’ foods at The District Waterhouse & Kitchen

June 10th, 2015

Photo by Jared WinwillBy Shelly Smithson

Located next to the new Bottle Barn in the flourishing city of West Fargo, The District Waterhouse & Kitchen is a distinct addition to the city’s thriving restaurant scene.

What sets it apart? The District is the first and only bar in the area to feature the hottest new trend in wine: wines on tap.

Before you turn your nose up at the very thought of wine flowing from a tap, allow me to put your mind at ease. This isn’t Franzia; these are premium wines that are…

Read more...


Tracker Pixel for Entry NewSalem2 Tracker Pixel for Entry farrms Tracker Pixel for Entry Cottonwood Tracker Pixel for Entry aquarium Tracker Pixel for Entry Bismarck1 Tracker Pixel for Entry 7Clans

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comNorth Dakota communities will join a “nationwide day of defiance” against authoritarianism and President Donald Trump’s policies on Saturday, June 14. A range of "No Kings" events…

Back-to-school season is on the horizon, but there's still plenty of summer left. Check out our favorite August attractions and events in North Dakota and western Minnesota. And if if you missed them, here are a few excellent May…

June 21, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 Broadway N., Fargo“We Watch Shudder,” Fargo’s favorite horror podcasters, bring on the darkness during the longest day of the year. The Darkest Day of Horror Film Festival features…

Fighting the good fightBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Over two thousand rallies took place nationwide June 14 as part of the “No Kings" protest. Ten of those protests were held in North Dakota, with thousands in attendance.…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comThe Fiddler on the roof was taking a big chance after two thousand years of hate Cal Thomas, who seems to hate a lot in a journalistic and broadcasting career where he expresses his conservative…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com The weather warmed up quickly here in the upper Midwest this spring, sparking prime eating season. This means burger battles, food trucks and lake-season food travel. The 2025 Downtown Fargo Burger…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…

By JD Provorsejdprovorse@gmail.comHorror movie fans of the valley, our time has come! Darkest Day of Horror Film Festival comes to the Fargo Theatre on Saturday, June 21. I sat down with JD Provorse, the creator and curator of DDHF…

By Raul Gomezraul@hpr1.com Minutes before Modern’s Celebration of Life opened its door at the Sons of Norway, I was fiddling with the bar computer, trying to pull up the playlists of Modern’s work I had set aside for the…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comAct Up Theatre, in partnership with Minnesota State University Moorhead, will present “The Sound of Music” on June 10-14. All shows are at 7:30 p.m. at the Minnesota State Moorhead’s…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com There appear to be differences in the incidence of mental illnesses between men and women. For example, women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, post-traumatic stress…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson.nd7@gmail.com Our trucking business has me driving almost daily from gas plants in western North Dakota's oil patch to Canada. I haul natural gas liquids (NGLs) products we used to see flared off at…